Jan 25, 2003

WASHINGTON – George W. Bush’s rush toward war on Iraq ran into a human wall Jan. 18 as anti-war protesters packed the streets of Washington, San Francisco, Tucson, Portland, Oregon, Toronto, Canada and 20 other cities chanting “Peace now!” and “No blood for oil!”

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Despite freezing temperatures, hundreds of youth, students, community and union members marched here to defend affirmative action on Jan. 20 in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.

CHICAGO – On Jan. 16, this city of three million people declared itself for peace when the City Council voted 46-1 opposing a pre-emptive U.S. military attack on Iraq.

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – On Jan. 16, about 40 people gathered in front of City Hall here to participate in a press conference called by Hudson County Coalition for Peace and Justice to present a resolution against the war on Iraq.

The battle to defend a woman’s right to choose moved to the front burner this week as the NARAL Pro-Choice America, the National Organization for Women and other organizations rallied their forces to defeat right-wing efforts to undermine, and eventually overturn, the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (PAI) – Kjeston M. Rogers, a working single mother of three teenagers and activist for International Union of Electronic Workers/CWA Local 761 at General Electric’s Louisville appliance park, was hit and killed by a police car while crossing the road from an IUE/CWA picket line on Jan. 14. She was 40.

JACKSON, Miss. – Gathered here for the AFL-CIO’s Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Observance, over 200 union leaders and members heard Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson condemn George Bush’s most recent attack on affirmative action.

News Analysis


ALBANY, N.Y. – In a State of the State address derided by trade union and community leaders as well as Democratic state legislators, New York Governor George Pataki declared he would both cut taxes and balance the state’s budget.

CHARLOTTE, N.C.: ‘Separate but equal’ is back / WASHINGTON, DC: Best government money can buy / AUGUSTA, Maine: Don’t like voters’ decisions? Call the Supreme Court / NEW YORK: On stage: Eligible for food stamps / VENTURA COUNTY, Calif.

From Houston, Des Moines, Portland, Ore., Lansing, Mich., and Montpelier, Vt., thousands of people gathered in cities and towns Jan. 18-20 weekend for peace, equality and to honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Here are a few highlights.